Childhood Rheumatic Disease, A Parents Worst Fear

What Is a Pediatric Rheumatic Disease?

A physician has diagnosed your child with a rheumatic disease and you don’t even know what that is. Most simply, rheumatic diseases are usually an autoimmune disorder that affects the bones, joints and muscles. In children, the most commonly diagnosed rheumatic disease, and one the most frequent childhood chronic diseases, is arthritis. There are many other potential and scary sounding diseases and disorders that your child may have been diagnosed with; a few of the other more common and potential pediatric rheumatic diseases include:

• Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus)
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Reactive arthritis
• Kawasaki’s diseases
• Fibromyalgia
• Vasculitis
• Juvenile Dermatomyositis
• Scleroderma

After The Diagnosis: Your Next Steps

You have taken the first and hardest step towards helping your child: the diagnosis. Now you are wondering what you should do next. Helping your child either be cured or live a normal life is your goal but your emotions can make deciding on the best course of treatment very difficult. There are many people dedicated to helping your child feel better, and helping you feel less distraught. Very simply, the most important next step is to seek out a pediatric rheumatologist.

Pediatric Rheumatology: A Parent’s Best Hope

A pediatric rheumatologic specialist is a physician who has taken the extra time and effort to seek out extra education and training to become certified to treat your child’s disorder. Since pediatric rheumatologists have chosen to dedicate themselves to this specialty, they are the best hope for your child. They will partner with you to help you make informed and wise decisions. They will also make sure that all of your questions are answered and your concerns addressed. Most importantly you and your child’s rheumatologist will be the core of the team that cares for your child. This team can include many people including physical therapists, psychologists, and other specialists.

An IBJI/Parent Partnership For Your Child

At IBJI our pediatric rheumatologists are incredibly dedicated to your child’s health and quality of life. Our physicians are able to treat every form of rheumatic disease while also ensuring that you and your child have the emotional support to deal with the potential of a long-term treatment plan. When you come to the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute with your child, you not only get access to a specialist, but you will get the dedicated support of every person at IBJI. You should not only look for exceptional care but more importantly you need to completely trust the people providing that care. To get your questions answered and learn more about how IBJI can help your child, make an appointment with one of our pediatric rheumatology specialists today.